Encircling package



Mm, mm m. ca. 560W $3, 8

ENCIRCLING PACKAGE Filad May 1'7, 1958 INVENTOR COTT' ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,487,915 ENCIRCLING PACKAGE Raymond G. Scott, Edina, Minn., assignor to Hoerner Waldorf Corporation, St. Paul, Min a corporation of Delaware Filed May 17, 1968, Ser. No. 730,110 Int. Cl. B6511 85/00, /46, 73/00 US. Cl. 206-46 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention discloses a package enclosing sleeve for a package which may have a backing member supporting a product supporting pouch or tray. The package backing member has a coplanar marginal edge. The sleeve includes a rear panel, a first side panel, a front panel, and a second side panel, and a glue flap. The glue flap is apertured so that adhesive securing the glue flap to the rear panel may flow through the aperture or apertures and adhere the rear panel to the backing member.

This invention relates to an improvement in package encircling sleeve designed to encircle a package of meat or other products to protect the same and to provide additional display space.

Sliced meat is often packaged on a substantially rectangular backing member of relatively rigid material such as plastic or paperboard, the product being enclosed in a plastic pouch or plastic tray secured to the backing member. The plastic enclosure, being transparent permits a clear view of the product. One end of the backing member usually projects beyond the product containing the pouch or tray and is printed or is provided with a label which identifies the product and provides the area for disclosing the statutory description of the product. Usually this projecting end is apertured so that the product may be racked if desired.

Normally the meat is selected by visual inspection through the transparent wall. However, in some instances it is desired to combine in a single package slices of different types of meat. Obviously, only the outermost of the slices is clearly visible. In order to distinguish this product from the similar packages, the package is enclosed in a sleeve having a display aperture in its front panel through which the contents may be viewed. The sleeve provides additional display space to distinguish this single package from the various other packages.

One of the difficulties involved in enclosing a package within an open ended sleeve lies in securing the package within the sleeve so that the package and sleeve will remain assembled. An object of the present invention lies in the provision of a means of securing the sleeve to the enclosed package so that the two will remain assembled until the package is opened. In view of the fact that the packages must be filled and sealed in the meat processing plant, the use of glue for sealing the sleeves to the package is normally undesirable. Accordingly, in the present construction, strips of thermoplastic adhesive are preferably applied to the blank by the blank manufacturer. After the product has been packaged, the paperboard sleeve is wrapped about the package, and the heat is applied to the outer surfaces of the areas coated with thermoplastic adhesive. This causes the adhesive to melt and to adhere the sleeve to the package to hold the sleeve and package assembled.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a sleeve of the type described including a rear panel designed to underly the backing panel of the package. Thermoplastic adhesive is applied in strips along opposite side edges of the rear panel underlying the flat 3,487,915 Patented Jan. 6, 1970 marginal surface of the backing panel of the package. A glue flap is provided which is designed to overlap the edge of the rear panel to secure the sleeve in tubular form. The glue flap is apertured to expose portions of the marginal edge of the backing member. As a result, when the sleeve is folded into tubular form, and the outer surface of the rear panel is heated outwardly of the areas bearing thermoplastic adhesive, the adhesive will flow through the aperture or apertures in the glue flap and will secure the rear panel of the sleeve to the marginal edge of the backing member.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a package enclosing sleeve of the type described in which the areas of the rear panel of the sleeve registering with the apertures or apertures in the glue flap are inwardly embossed to extend into the apertures in the glue flap. As a result, the distance between the rear panel and the marginal edge of the backing member is decreased to facilitate the attachment of the rear panel to the backing member.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a tear strip which may be removed to facilitate the opening of the sleeve.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims:

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the sleeve enclosing a typical form of the package.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the package which is to be enclosed within the sleeve.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view through the sleeve and package, the position of the section being indicated as 33 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the package showing the sleeve partially wrapped about the same.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the package is formed.

The completed structure includes a sleeve which is indicated in general by the letter A, and a package which is indicated in general by the letter B. Obviously, the specific form of the package may vary to some extent, and the sleeve A may be modified to accommodate the package. However, the principles involved in the packaging remain the same.

The sleeve A includes a rear panel 10, a first side wall panel '11, a front panel 12, and second side wall panel 13, and a glue flap '14. The panels are connected together and to the glue flap along parallel fold lines 15, 16, 17 and 19. In general, the package B includes a backing panel 20 which may be of plastic or paperboard and which supports a pouch or tray 21 including the product 22. In the particular arrangement illustrated, the product enclosing member is disclosed as a tray having a peripheral flange 23 which encircles the tray and is on a common plane. The upper flange 24 of the tray 21 is elongated so that the edges of the generally rectangular tray are contiguous with the edges of the backing member 22. If desired, the portion of the backing member 20 inwardly of the marginal walls 25 of the tray 21 may be inwardly offset to engage into the open side of the tray. The tray 21 is preferably made of transparent plastic so that the contents of the package may be readily viewed through the front panel 26 of the tray as well as through the encircling walls 25 thereof.

As indicated in FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings, the glue flap 14 is provided with a pair of elongated generally rectangular apertures 27 extending therethrough along the line of fold 19 connecting the glue flap 14 to the sec and side wall 13. These apertures expose a portion of the marginal edge of the backing panel. The backing panel is provided with a rectangular recessed area 29 designed to extend into the tray 21, and the backing panel 20 includes a coplanar marginal flange 30, the upper end of which is elongated as indicated at 31, and apertured as indicated at 32 to form a support for the tray.

When the glue flap 14 is folded over the backing member 20, portions of the marginal flange 30 along one side of the backing member are visible through the apertures 27. FIGURE 4 illustrates the manner in which the apertures expose portions of the backing member 20'.

The marginal edge 34 of the rear panel is provided with a pair of substantially rectangular embossed areas 35 which are somewhat offset from the plane of the rear panel 10. These offset areas 35 extend inwardly, and are designed to extend into the apertures 27 in the glue flap 14. A strip 36 of thermoplastic adhesive as applied to the panel 10 extending adjacent to and parallel to the edge 34 thereof, the adhesive also extending over the olfset areas 35. A second strip 37 of thermoplastic adhesive is also applied along the opposite edge of the rear panel 10, adjoining and parallel to the fold line 15. After the strips 36 and 37 of thermoplastic adhesive are applied, they I harden so that superimposed blanks do not adhere to one another.

A tear strip 39 is also preferably provided in one of the side wall panels, as for example in the side wall 11. The tear strip 37 is defined by a weakened line of separation 40 which forms the fold line 15, and a parallel weakened line 41. Notches 42 extend into the blank at one end of the tear strip 39 to facilitate grasping the tear strip for removal. In sealing the sleeve 8 to the package B, the

package B may be inserted on the front panel 12, and the 7 second side wall 13 may be folded up along the side of the package B, and the glue flap 14 may be secured overlying the back of the supporting member 20. The first side wall 11 may be folded up along the opposite side of the package B, and the rear panel can be folded to overlie the package B, with the embossed areas extending into the apertures 27. The heat is then applied to the opposite edges of the rear panel 10 in opposed relation to the adhesive 36 and 37. This heat softens the adhesive sufliciently to adhere to the surfaces engaged. The strip of adhesive 37 will extend along one side of the backing member 20 to secure the backing member to the rear panel 10. The adhesive 36 will secure the rear panel 10 both to the glue flap 14 and also to the exposed areas 33 of the backing member. An aperture 40 in the rear panel 10 will register with the aperture 32 and provide a means for accommodating a supporting rack if desired.

In the particular arrangement illustrated, the front panel 12 is somewhat narrower than the rear panel 10, resulting in a package which is trapezoidal in cross-section. Obviously, the sleeve could be rectangular if so desired. It should also be noted that the front panel 12 is provided with an aperture 41 of any desired shape which is designed to expose a portion of the product through the transparent panel 26 of the package B.

In opening the package, the tear strip 39 may be grasped and removed, providing access to the package B, if desired, the front and side walls may be entirely detached by tearing along the fold line 19. This is simplified because of the apertures 27 which interrupt this fold line throughout the major portion of its length.

This operation leaves the rear panel 10 adhered to the back of the backing member 20. This is of importance, as cooking instruction are often printed on the panel 10 and these directions remain on the package after the panel 12 and side wall panels 11 and 13 have been removed and discarded.

The thermoplastic adhesive strips 36 and 37 is shown as printed on the carton blanks. If preferred, the adhesive may be applied to the surfaces as the sleeve is applied thereto. In suGh an QYQIE; the adhesive could be a hot 4 melt adhesive or any suitable adhesive which would hold the parts assembled.

In some instances the window 41 in the front panel is eliminated, and the entire panel is used for printing. This may be particularly desirable where different types of meat slices are enclosed.

I claim:

1. A package enclosing sleeve in combination with a package including a flat marginal edge portion on its rear surface, the sleeve including a rear panel, a first side panel, a front panel, a second side panel, and a glue flap foldably connected together said glue flap having at least one aperture therethrough, said sleeve snugly encircling said package, and adhesive securing said rear panel to said glue flap and extending through said aperture to secure said rear panel to said portion of said flat marginal edge of said package.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said glue flap is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures.

3. The structure of claim 2 and in which said apertures extend along the line of fold connecting said glue flap to said second side wall panel.

4. The structure of claim 2 and in which said apertures are elongated in a direction parallel to the line of fold connecting said side wall panel to said glue flap.

5. The structure of claim 1 and in which said adhesive is thermoplastic.

6. The structure of claim 1 and including a line of adhesive connecting the rear panel to said flat marginal edge portion adjacent to the line of fold connecting said rear panel to said first side panel.

7. The structure of claim 1 and in which said rear panel is embossed, the embossed portion extending into said aperture.

8. A package enclosing sleeve blank for use in combination with a package including a product enclosing tray having an outwardly extending coplanar marginal flange encircling the same, and a backing member, said backing member having a substantially flat marginal edge to which said flange is secured, the blank including a rear panel, a first wall panel, a front panel, a second wall panel, and a glue flap, said panels and flap being foldably connected, said glue flap having at least one aperture therethrough, said rear wall having, on the inner surface thereof, a strip of thermoplastic adhesive adapted to secure said rear panel to the outer surface of said glue flap when heat activated, and adapted to extend through said aperture to secure said rear panel to said edge of said backing member when the sleeve is Wrapped about the same. 9. The structure of claim 8 and including a second strip of thermoplastic adhesive extending across said rear panel along side of, and parallel to, the line of fold connecting said rear panel to said first wall panel and adapted to secure said rear panel to the portion of said marginal flange opposite that engaged by said first named strip of adhesive.

10. The structure of claim 8 and in which said rear panel extends beyond the other panels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,904,170 9/1959 Hennessey et a1. 22940 2,913,105 11/1959 Brunsing 20665 2,987,402 6/1961 Dold 229-87 3,116,825 1/1964 Thomas 20645.19 3,384,290 5/1968 Glover 20659 WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Primary Examiner US. 01. X.R.

ape-45.31, 78, 229-40, 87 

